A Lesson From A Little One

“It’s okay, mom. He is the one with the problem, not me. I’m not gonna let him tell me what I can do.”

My son has been taunted by two kids on his sports team for a few months now. They say negative things about his performance, judge and act superior to him.

It both angers me and hurts my heart.

And while I’ve had a really hard time letting go of the fact that these boys are taunting him, my son has chosen a different route. He no longer lets it affect him. In fact, he goes out of his way to brush it off and treat them kindly.

We can learn so much from our little ones, can’t we?

You see, I’ve been facing a situation similar to his for quite some time now. Every time I think it has vanished, someone new comes to me and (out of a place of love or friendship) gives me a serious talking to about things they have heard through the rumor mill.

And while I’m grateful for their honesty and concern, if let it, it can really sour my day. And frankly, it hurts.

When my son spoke those words to me, I realized that he was teaching ME a lesson. (Go figure.)

Have you ever listened to the words of wisdom you impart on your own children? Do you follow your own advice? Why is it that we can speak so eloquently and vehemently to our own offspring yet don’t follow through when it comes to the same matters?